Everything You Need to Know About the Killer Beetle

It is the incarnation of the Predator in nature. Although it is just over an inch long, the insect called the "killer beetle" has a very strange behavior.

The beetle carries the bodies of its victims as shells, of trophy armor, after first consuming their entrails by liquefying them.

Even if they are harmless, beetles are never invited. Nobody likes to find such intruders in the house, panic sets in quickly, and measures are always taken urgently.

But when we find out that a certain type of beetle, very dangerous, can hide in our home and cause us some of the most serious diseases, we are dealing with extra care.

The beetle that attacks you in your sleep

The triatomic beetle - also called the vampire beetle - usually hides in the most convenient cracks in homes and bites people while they sleep, sucking their blood and leaving their feces in place of the bite. You can also meet him at a picnic in the grass, so a little caution would be helpful.

Known as the killer beetle, it spreads Chagas disease, one of five parasitic infections. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently on alert and organizing various public health information actions.

Because Chagas disease can have mild, almost imperceptible symptoms, or it can be silent, without symptoms, most of those who have contacted it do not know that they are struggling with this problem.

Although the infection is more prevalent in Latin America and South America, other states are not safe either.

If in the first few weeks after the bite, mild symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aches or fever may occur, which do not necessarily refer us to the doctor, the disease becomes chronic when there is swelling of the eyelids, intestinal problems, or irregular heartbeat. , and the visit to the doctor's office should not be delayed.

Medications have a fairly high cure rate when the disease is detected in time.

The various sweet smells, scents, and warmth guide the killer beetle to the people it will attack. Carbon dioxide from the breath, ammonia, and carboxylic acids in the skin, hair, and exocrine glands are among the factors that attract this dangerous beetle.

Things that might interest you about the killer beetle can be found in the clip below.

You can find out if you have killer cockroaches hidden in your home by a few simple signs:

1. In the cracks in the furniture or wall you will find deposits of insect eggs, usually red.

2. On the walls can be seen, especially at the corners, characteristic feces, as a white conglomerate.

3. The moment you manage to find them, it means that they have already attacked recently because then it is the only time when they are deprived of mobility and can no longer fly to hide.

In 1909, Brazilian doctor Carlos Chagas discovered that these insects were responsible for the mass transmission of disease to many of his patients in Lassance, a village on the banks of the Sao Francisco River in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The poor people who lived there complained about insects attacking them during the night.

"Knowing the habits of the insects and their enormous number, in all the houses in the region I immediately found that these insects were responsible for the death of the villagers and I sought to discover the exact biology of this killer beetle and the transmission of the parasite to humans," said Dr. Carlos. Chagas in his diary.

Therefore, avoid living in old, crowded, and cluttered spaces and do not ignore any of the possible symptoms, even mild ones, of the Chagas virus. If you notice them, contact your doctor immediately!